


Summertime Shakedown

by sloaches



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29595864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sloaches/pseuds/sloaches
Summary: Everyone in town looks forward to the annual Luau- except for Lewis, that is...
Kudos: 4





	Summertime Shakedown

It never seemed to fail that the weather was absolutely delightful for the annual Pelican Town Luau. In fact, it seemed that every festival was blessed with what Marnie once called "Picture Postcard Perfect" weather. And honestly, it was. A brilliant blue sky highlighted the sun bouncing on the shimmering waves along the beach. 

The mood of the townfolk was as bright as the day as they began to make their way to the shore near Elliott's cabin. At the far end of the beach, a makeshift dance area was set up complete with calypso and reggae music pumping from the outdoor speakers. Large banquet tables were set up which held many exotic, delicious foods. In the center was the main attraction- the large potluck pot which would hold the ingredients that Mayor Lewis hoped would please one person- The Governor of the Ferngill Republic. A somewhat stout, older man who was very nattily dressed, The Governor always made a point to visit during the Luau. And Lewis made a point to make his visit as comfortable as possible.

"Well, Governor", Lewis said as he looked over the feast, "I certainly hope you enjoy our Luau Potluck this year!"

"That remains to be seen, Lewis", he replied. "It all depends on how good the ingredients are- and how well our meeting goes after this. You didn't forget, did you?".

Lewis swallowed hard. "Oh, N-No, Governor! I didn't f-forget!", he stammered. "We'll head right to my office after the tasting!".

Once The Farmer finally arrived with the final soup ingredient ("why is that idiot always late?", thought Lewis) the ceremonial tasting of the Luau Potluck began. Lewis watched nervously as The Governor took his special tasting spoon from his coat pocket and dipped it in the pot. The Governor put the spoon to his lips and tasted the soup. He stood savoring the mix of flavors as the townspeople looked on.

"Lewis?", The Governor intoned.

"Y-yes, sir?" the obviously trembling Lewis replied.

"This is the best soup I've ever tasted!!" The Governor said, as he broke into a broad grin.

The residents let out a cheer and applauded, while Lewis stumbled to the pot to sample the soup himself. "You're right, Governor, it's delicious!" he happily cried. He motioned to the townsfolk. "Okay, who else wants a taste?"

Everyone began to approach the large pot and grab their fill of the delicious meal. "Okay folks", Lewis said, "The Governor is a busy man. You all enjoy the Luau while he and I go discuss business. Have a good time, everyone!". The two men then headed up the path towards Lewis' home a short distance away.

Lewis headed to his kitchen as they entered the house. "Um, can I get you a drink, sir?", he asked The Governor, who was standing in the living room.

"Sure, make it a scotch or something strong enough to wash the taste of that crappy soup out of my mouth!", He replied.

"But I thought you said you-"

"Never mind what you thought I said!". The Governor fixed his eyes on Lewis. "I was just trying to make those half-wits down there think they did something right for a change! I mean, who the hell puts Lava Eel in a soup?!? Besides, you think I'd come all the way to this shit-hole so I can eat garbage and glad-hand a bunch of rubes?". He narrowed his eyes at Lewis. "You know why I'm here!".

"Y-yes, absolutely." Lewis quickly went to his wall safe and opened it, producing a thick envelope. He nervously handed it to The Governor and waited.

The Governor looked at Lewis, then the envelope, then back at Lewis. "It feels light", he said as he opened it and thumbed through the contents. "It IS light! What kind of game are you running here, Lewis?!?"

"What do you mean, light" I counted it twice before you arrived, and-"

"Tut-tut", the larger man replied, holding a stubby finger to Lewis' lips. "Our mutual friend in the desert let me know that you found a new revenue stream in the Mines. MY mines. Radioactive Ore, is it? The word from our friend is that you've had that hayseed farmer mining the ore and converting it into bars. Bars that you've been making a tidy profit on. A profit that, per our agreement, you were supposed to inform me about."

A bead of sweat ran down Lewis' forehead. "Wait, this is about the Radioactive Ore? I only learned about it recently myself! Besides, it was Qi who sent the farmer chasing after that stuff in the first place! Jeez, Eddie, be reasonable!"

The older man grabbed Lewis by the collar and slammed him into the wall. "YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS GOVERNOR OR SIR, YOU MISERABLE PRICK!!".

Lewis struggled to breathe as the old man pressed against his throat. "Reasonable, you say? How about I cut your withered balls off and have them fed to the cows on your girlfriend's farm, would that be reasonable?!?".

"You listen to me, Lewis, the only reason you aren't rotting in a Gotoro prison camp is because of me! Shit, the only reason you're the mayor of this backwater is by my doing! Maybe I should tell that old guy in the wheelchair that the mine accident that crippled him and killed his son was your fault! Remember how you begged and pleaded with me to cover up how your incompetent leadership at the mines led to that collapse? I do, which is why WE HAVE A DEAL!".

The Governor released his grip on Lewis, who slid down the wall to the floor, sobbing.

"Pathetic", the man spat out at the quivering mass at his feet. "You're even worse than your brother Linus. At least he HAS a reason to be off his nut, since you made sure to pin the mine accident on him!".

The Governor reached down and helped the snuffling Lewis to his feet.

"Okay, Princess, dry your eyes. Here's what your gonna do. Get in that safe and hand over ten thousand Gold right now, and from here on out you will increase your payout total to 50,000G per season. And if you even make so much as 100G extra on turnips, I want to know about it, Capeesh?"

Lewis nodded meekly as he headed to his safe. He quickly counted out 10,000G and handed it to The Governor.

"Good boy! Now, I'm gonna get out of here before I can't get the stink of this place off my suit. Remember, stick to our deal, or you might wind up on a one-way trip to the Skull Caverns!"

Lewis watched as The Governor stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He slumped into a chair as he heard the older man walk toward town square with his driver. Damn that Qi, Lewis thought to himself. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Those Radioactive Ore profits could have really come in handy! But, alas, the cat was out of the bag. and if Lewis wanted to keep up his lifestyle- hell, keep living, period- he was going to have to "pay the piper".

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written or posted any stories in a while, so I'm a bit rusty. I wanted to explore some of the more obscure characters to see what makes them tick, and I decided to see how an interaction between Lewis and The Governor would go. I hope you all like it.


End file.
